Addressing the Crisis

Media Data Network as the convener has established a community-based, complete workforce development program, The Las Vegas Area Workforce Collaborative, (the Collaborative) which proposes to establish an entry path for low-skilled, unemployed and/or underemployed workers into the Software Development industry and continue providing the client support 6 months after employment. The MDN is expanding its reach under the MDN educational Project beginning with a Nevada Branch.

Media Data Network (MDN) Workforce Development Progra

Growing Skills Gap

With a growing skills gap in America, the nation is faced with an overwhelming number of unemployed and underemployed residents, while at the same time, a pervasive need for middle-skill technology workers exists.

Team

Approach

Through the Collaborative, all program activities are cohort based (Spring, Summer and Fall) and address individual training needs, provide customized participant supportive services, and lead to job placement in the Software Development industry and retention in entry to middle-skilled jobs in that industry.

Wide-Breadth of Job Possibilities

MDN project will target specifically the Software Development industry. As MDN is the lead agency, the vast majority of jobs filled will be in the Software Development field.

Pathway out of Poverty

Training for participants will lead to a nationally recognized credential and/or degree through MDN leading towards higher wage, middle-skilled to high-skilled jobs in Software Development.

Our goal is to not just get clients employed, but to get our clients into a career path with entry-level salaries well-above a living wage with benefits, therefore moving them out of poverty and into a high-demand field in which they can continue to advance and support a middle-income or better lifestyle.

Target Job Synopses and General Labor Statistics

Description and Outlook

MEAN STACK

Description MEAN is an open source web stack that is mainly used to create cloud-hosted applications. MEAN stack applications are flexible, scalable, and extensible, making them the perfect candidate for cloud hosting. The stack includes its own web server so it can be deployed easily, and the database can be scaled on demand to accommodate temporary usage spikes. A MEAN application enters the world optimized to take advantage of all the cost savings and performance improvements of the cloud.

· Job Outlook: 20% Growth

Drone Software

Engineer

Description: Drone Programming Primer for Software Development, where you will learn of the core open source software projects that are fueling the progression of today’s drones!

The collection of open source software projects empowering drones (which we will call the flight stack) is transcending its hobbyist roots and is branching out into business applications at a high rate. This is going to translate to demand for drone engineers/developers who understand the open source flight stack.

This course will serve to introduce and familiarize you with the flight stack, which includes the following:

· Firmware (To run the drone’s hardware)

· Middleware (Communication glue between projects)

· API to Firmware (High level commanding of drone with Ground Control Stations and Python scripts)

Think of this course as a gateway to becoming a drone engineer/developer. We will cover all of the layers of the flight stack, with slightly more focus on the API to Firmware layer. We will use a simulated drone as our test vehicle, so you can start drone coding right from your computer!

· Job Outlook: 34% Growth

Robotics Software engineer

Description: The objective of this class is to introduce students to the basic issues of software engineering and how it applies to robotics. Design of robot systems poses a number of challenges both in terms of providing basic methods for navigation, manipulation and interaction and in terms of integrating methods into operational systems. The software engineering covers the design, analysis and synthesis of systems for real-world operation. The course will present several basic methods in software engineering, their application in robotics and how such methods can be implemented using state of the art software systems.

· Job Outlook: 23% Growth

Software Development Jobs

According to the Jobs Trend Report a frontend dev bootcamp that teaches JavaScript, or the MEAN Stack is in strong demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010 there were over 900,000 software developer jobs posted, with an expected increase of 30% by 2020. There’s also the often cited analysis from Code.org that underscored the widening gap between supply and demand.

Target Population

The 2017 In-demand Occupation and Insights report is a resource for Career Technical Education (CTE), and postsecondary institutions as well as nonprofits, government entities, and workforce boards to leverage in preparing Nevada’s workforce to make informed decisions about program or training offerings that align to research and labor market data as well as the state’s needs. But perhaps, even more importantly, leveraging the 2017 In-demand Occupation and Insights provide a level of information and security for students and adults engaging in various career pathways and spending precious time, energy, and financial resources to make informed decisions and understand the consequences of the choices they make when pursuing skills and training.

Thus, it is imperative for and postsecondary institutions to continue to further partner in aligning programs and course offerings that leverage career pathways that fill critical talent needs identified by labor market research and employer input. It is also imperative to scale programs that will provide individuals with great return on investment and curtail programs that are becoming obsolete or not supported by the labor market. Training to the consensus occupations is a more compelling way to ensure individuals are positioned to receive a greater return on their investments and grow the economy through workforce development.

A snapshot of Inequity

· Women serve as the primary or co-breadwinner in half of U.S. families (Hess et al 2015).

· As the economy has recovered, millions of workers found jobs, but many of these new jobs pay too little to lift a family out of poverty.

· Women are the majority of full-time workers whose earnings leave them in near poverty.

· One in four Hispanic women (24.2 percent) and close to one in five Black women (18.1 percent) work full-time and earn less than $400 per week (U.S. Department of Labor unpublished).

· One in four Hispanic women (24.2 percent) and close to one in five Black women (18.1 percent) work full-time and earn less than $400 per week (U.S. Department of Labor unpublished).

· The Collaborative will concentrate marketing to these populations. It is the goal of the Collaborative to reduce the barriers to training and employment by offering wrap around support services such as childcare subsidies, food and rental assistance and gas card.

· To help reduce the need for transportation, the MDN platform is available to all participants online.

· The materials accessible through MDN and the LMS will be in multiple languages and culturally sensitive while reflecting the needs of the area employers.

Skills Gap at Higher Levels

In Las Vegas Texas reflective of Nevada Future

· The skills gap exists up the career ladder, too, for jobs that do require a four-year degree or even more education.

· There will be over a million job openings in Nevada over the next decade.

· About 62 percent of those will require some form of post-secondary education. The state is producing only 55 percent now.

· Nationally, 19 of the 30 fastest-growing occupations between now and 2026 will require some Software Development education, according to national projections released Oct. 24 by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

· According to the JP Morgan Chase and Company Skills Gap Report, middle skill jobs represent 29% of all positions available in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Area Workforce Collaborative

The Collaborative

The Nevada Collaborative is made up of 6 agencies with the Media Data Network as the fiscal agent and convener.

Agencies include:

· Media Data Network Inc.

· REX Programming

· Community Council of Greater Dallas

· MakersWay

· Veterans Transition Resource Center

· See US Now Staffing

Goals

The Collaborative has 3 primary goals:

1. Community Asset Mapping

2. Data-Sharing and Database Management

3. Cross-Agency Referral Process

Strategies

The Collaborative will employ the following strategies:

1. Sponsoring low-income workers

2. Middle-skills computer training assistance

3. Veterans and their families in transition

4. Individual coaching and wrap around services

5. Job placement

Each collaborative partner will fill a specific role and provide distinct services to clients, depending on their individual needs, geographic locations, gender, age and race/ethnicity.

The Collaborative Partner

MDN

· MDN will also serve as the primary convener for the Collaborative and the fiscal agent.

· Since its founding in 2014, MDN has identified services that are needed in the community, assessed how best services could be delivered to meet social issues, and mobilized and implemented action plans working in concert with its member agencies and public-sector resources.

· MDN is a conduit for connecting clients to services and providers.

MDN

· As a workforce intermediary, MDN enables participants to obtain the skills, certifications, training, tools and supplies to move into family-living wage roles on behalf of key Nevada employers.

· MDN Workforce Development Program is a comprehensive program designed to remove or lessen barriers that interfere with training or job placement such as: costs of tuition, textbooks, transportation, and childcare.

· Individuals may also experience a decrease in available work hours during the program resulting in reduced income and added stress. MDN addresses barriers by:

2. Sponsoring students in high-demand jobs through partnerships with local employers.

MDN, continued

3. Supporting a training plan for each participant that continues through certification and job placement.

Action

Middle-skills training assistance

Costs for tuition and textbooks – Supports participants while they are enrolled in Boot Camp.

Basic needs assistance

Food, housing, transportation, and childcare – Helps participants focus on maintaining a B+ average in coursework.

Individual coaching and wrap around services

Ensures completion of courses and consistent follow-up with graduates after job placement.

· MDN counselors work with participants to develop individualized plans that include three key elements:

· Through MDN, participants complete training at a Boot Camp, receive licensing or certification and are placed into middle-skill employment.

· Job training classes are delivered through the faculty and resources of MDN and other educational sources.

Media Data Network

· Delivers what the market required for employees.

· A Video and Content Management HTML Mobile platform

· The Power of a Bulk Distribution Engine

· Private Cloud Storage

· AI & Deep Learning Data Analytics

· Enterprise Content Management Services

· A new “Student Attitude” sales approach

· A Private Education Platform

Veterans Transition Resources Center

· Established as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization in 2016.

· They were organized to stimulate the development Veterans and their family’s transition from military and other career choices to newest.

· Continued offerings through affordable Software Development and counseling services, along with focused economic development initiatives, strengthen families and revitalize neighborhoods within Nevada Communities.

· Harmony targets residents of the South Oak Cliff area of Las Vegas, with additional concentration throughout the southern sector suburbs, including Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville and Lancaster.

· MDN is collaborating with the MDN to inspire, recruit, train & employ candidates in Nevada.

REX Programming

· 3 months Immersive Training

· 40 hours per week

· Boot Camp Model

· $14,000 per student (Approx.)

· REX provides a Lab with Computer Desktops or Laptops and Wifi Access

· Classes are offered at MDN Nevada location

· REX assists in recruiting the students

· Rex Providers teachers and Curriculum

Also included – Resume Preparation and Interview Tips

See US Now Staffing

Placed over 1,000 qualified individuals in over 700 companies.

Highly trained staff who have a combined 30 years of experience in staffing.

Saved businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars in the hiring process.

Heavily involved in the community. We’ve donated over $100,000 worth of items and 1,000 hours of volunteer time to local charities.

Program Design

Participants

· The anticipated number of participants to be served by this Program is 75 per location, with three Boot Camps each year (Spring, Summer and Fall).

· The average cost per participant is $15,000. (Approx.)

· This cost is an average cost because levels of service will vary per participant depending on their individual needs.

· Participants will receive a certification to qualify for a job offered by the Program.

MDN Pathway to Work

· The Workforce Collaborative has been a catalyst to bring diverse entities together to improve coordination, to identify a common vision and goals, and to plan for future activities.

· The backbone infrastructure of The Collaborative utilizes the MDN Pathway to Work platform to support the formation and operation of collaborative partnerships between workforce development providers throughout Nevada.

· The original Workforce program launched in 2018 by Community Council of Greater Dallas (CCGD), the Collaborative members, AdvanceNet Labs (ANL) and other partner organizations to systematically change how individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds access education, engage in the workforce, and continue lifelong learning.

· REX Pathway to Work (MDN) leverages an award-winning Learning Management System (LMS) and other featured applications to support transformational change in education, workforce training and career-path / living wage employment.

· MDN also brings long-term partnerships that enable us to deliver millions of dollars in corporate learning technologies and content previously too complex and expensive for the social sector.

· This platform is the conduit for successful public/private collaboration.

· MDN will systematically change how individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds access education, engage in the workforce, and continue lifelong learning.

· In July 2018, Phase 1 was successfully executed leading to eight agencies using an integrated platform providing individuals and agencies with direct access to 24/7 learning and development library, career pathway exploration, interest and skills assessments, skill development and training referrals, connections to apprenticeships/employment, and participation in virtual job fairs/employer partnerships.